Concise Car Maintenance Knowledgebase

Dealing with Major Car Problems

Beware of Rock Salt Corrosion on Your Car

No matter how hard you work on taking care of your car, external factors might cause major problems. For those who live in regions where heavy snow could fall unexpectedly, you positively must be mindful of the damage rock salt causes. Where does the rock salt come from? Rock salt is used to melt snow and ice on roads. While it quickly liquefies once it has been spread from salt trucks, the presence of salt is mixed in with melting snow. Once this salted snow comes in contact with your vehicle, a lot of avoid able damage may occur.

The Cosmetic Troubles

The most obvious problem rock slat presents to an automobile is the one car owners are probably most familiar with. This would be the corrosive effect on the car’s paint. Once snow laced with salt lands on top of a car, the salt is going to go to work damaging the paint. Once the paint has been ruined by the salt, a very costly professional job is going to be required in order to restore the original look. Do not think for one minute that a do-it-yourself paint kit is going to hide the major blotches and other damage caused by the salt. Again, only a professional job will restore the look of the car.

The way to deal with the presence of salt is relatively simple. Brush off all the snow from the roof, hood, and trunk of the vehicle. Take a towel and wipe off the top of the car thoroughly. Then, as soon as you are able to, bring the vehicle to a car wash and have it cleaned. Do not go for the cheapest tier of cleaning, either. Get the most thorough car wash job you can. This way, no trace of rock salt is going to be left on the auto.

Remember the longer rock salt is allowed to stay in contact with the paint on your car, the more time is left for damage to be inflicted. Only a thorough cleaning is going to reduce the chances of this happening.

Now, while the damage to the car’s paint is bad, there are worse things rock salt can do to your vehicle.

Damage Underneath the Vehicle

While you may be able to clear off all the salt from the top of the car, the underside might end up being woefully overlooked. The problems that can result here are significant and, truthfully, could be very dangerous as well.

For one, corrosion could set in. Just as salt starts to erode the paint on top of a car, the salt could damage metal and various parts underneath the vehicle. The exhaust system could suffer a lot of damage. A muffler and the connecting flex pipe are not exactly going to do their job effectively if corrosion has led to holes developing in them.

Even worse would be problems with the fuel line. Salt-induced corrosion that leads to leaking gasoline could turn a previously problem-free car into a moving death trap. So, when the winter has been exceptionally harsh, you must take a few extra steps to avoid a serious mishap. If you have any car issues, big or small, the best auto repair mesa az has to offer is Street Automotive.

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